Love Squares
by aly-chan42
Summary: A few years in the future, a teenage Rin falls in love with Kohaku, but he doesn't seem to like her back. To make things even more difficult, Hakudoshi falls for Rin and then Shippou comes along and accidentally steals the girl Kohaku likes. Adventures!
1. Chapter 1

**I credit the basic plot to SkyeRID3R. All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, except random OCs that will appear later in the story. I love thesauruses. **

**My editor is also SkyeRID3R, who helps me with my awful punctuation. So go check out her stories! There is a link on my profile to her page.**

**Warning: I write the crappiest fight scenes, so don't expect much from them.  
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~O~

It had rained for three days straight - a cold, drenching rain that hardly ever eased into a drizzle. Rin had gotten tired of sitting inside all day, listening to the sound of water beating on the roof and walls. Usually she was a happy girl, humming songs, and smiling at even the smallest things. But three days of pouring rain could get even Rin feeling down in the dumps. As she readied herself for bed on the third night, she found herself in a much darker place than usual, not only from the rain, but also from the sense of loneliness that she had become so accustom to pushing to the back of her thoughts.

Her damp mood didn't last long, however. As she woke up on the fourth morning the first thing she was aware of was the silence. It took her still sleep-filled mind a moment to realize what that meant, no more rain! Water didn't pour down from the heavens any longer, terrorizing the plants, and slapping at the buildings. As she threw open the sliding door and stepped out into the morning sun, a light breeze rose up, as if to greet her, and carried the scent of damp earth and sodden wood to her nostrils. Her dark hair went tumbling off her shoulders and her fresh kimono clung gently to her body as she raised her arms over her head and stretched. The ground was still full of puddles, and everything was soaked, but Rin was back to her gleeful self, marveling at the beauty of the morning.

The soft sun beat down on her pleasing face and warmed her stiff fingers. Rin couldn't help but laugh - a deep, rich laugh with her chocolate eyes closed and her back pressed against a wall to keep her upright. She was so elated with the start of a new day and the lack of rain that she just had to let her happiness out somehow, or she feared that she might burst into a million little pieces. If anyone else in the house had been asleep, they weren't any longer, and they had the satisfaction of waking up to the beautiful, babbling sound of Rin's most joyful laugh.

Two women of the house, Hiroko and Umeko, had been passing by to do their early morning chores, but they stopped for a moment to watch Rin in her moment of bliss, smiling at each other and happy for the shining sun as well. "Glad to see she's back to her usual self," Hiroko said cheerfully to the Umeko, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but I still feel so sorry for her. Must be hard to be left behind in a village." Umeko smoothed out her dark blue kimono as she spoke. Hiroko had a thoughtful expression on her withering face.

"Better to be left here than travel with a demon; that lifestyle doesn't suit a young lady like her." The two women watched in silent contemplation for a moment longer before shuffling off to take care of their chores.

~O~

"I'll be back before dark!" Rin said zestfully from where she stood by the gate to the house. Umeko looked up from the little dog she was petting and smiled almost sympathetically.

"Be safe," she replied, knowing full well that Rin could care for herself and five other people easily. The steady katana strapped around her slender hips was proof enough of that.

"Don't worry about me," Rin said with a little chuckle. And with a small wave and a flip of her finger tips she was gone from the gate. Rin ran through the village as fast as she could, not stopping for anything, and dodging around people and animals. Once outside the sturdy walls and onto the long, dusty road, she stopped. Taking a deep breath, Rin closed her eyes. The feeling of the late morning sun, cooling breeze, and clean air made her well up inside with gratitude for nature. But she didn't stop for long. Her sandaled feet carried her far and fast; the sound of her shoes slapping onto the bottoms of her feet and her quick breathing soon became the only things she could hear.

Rin ran until she could run no more, and plopped down beside a large puddle just behind the tree line of the forest. The soft grass tickled her cheek and palms, and the tiny water droplets from the previous rain got caught up in her glistening hair. She sat up and looked around. Water slid down the dark branches of trees, and clung to vibrant leaves and flower petals. A single drop of rainwater dribbled into the clear pool beside her, ruffling the surface and sending her reflection rippling. She watched it in silence until the outward ripples were still again and her reflection was clear. Rin smiled at herself before pushing off the ground and wandering further into the rich forest.

Rin wasn't a little girl anymore. She had grown into a fetching young woman, with a thin but steady frame, silky raven hair, and sun-kissed skin a little tanner than it should have been, due to all of her time outside. She had also outgrown the orange and white kimono that she had become so attached to. Reluctantly she had traded it in for a light yellow one, decorated in pleasing orange flowers, and a poppy red obi around her slender waist. It suited her well, young and cheerful, but not something a little girl would wear either.

The katana she carried had been a gift from Sesshoumaru; it had a long steel blade, and was carried in a warm brown sheath. She had become quite skilled with the weapon and defended herself very well. She would have liked to practice more, but the boys in the village weren't partial to sparing with a girl, especially if she often won the mock battles.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, then eventually started to make its daily descent again, Rin made her way further and further into the trees. It was sometime in the early afternoon when she decided to start heading back to town, wanting to keep to her promise of being home before dark. She stopped by a gurgling stream for a drink. As she was kneeling by the pristine water, her cupped hands near her lips, about to take a sip, she abruptly stopped. There was the slightest sound in the woods around her. It could have been nothing, but growing up with a dog demon taught her to never assume it was nothing. She pulled her hands apart, letting the cool water fall back into the stream with a plop, and it was whisked away in a second. Next came the eerie feeling, as if there was a pair of eyes glued onto her skin. She stood up and unsheathed her katana, standing with her back to a tree, and waiting for something to happen. It felt like hours that she waited, but in actuality it was no more than twenty minutes. The feeling was long gone, and she was about to put her sword away and brush it off as paranoia, when suddenly a voice came from right next to her.

"No need to be so defensive, darling. I'm not going to hurt you." She screamed as she felt a hand on her arm, and turned toward the voice and jumped away in the same swift movement. "A little high strung are we?" Rin found herself staring into the scarlet eyes of a demon. He was tall and looked very strong, which made her nervous. He was nonchalantly leaning on the tree she had previously had her back to, his dark clothes and red hair rustling in the wind.

"Go away," she said, raising her katana a little more and trying to look confident and strong. She honestly wasn't too concerned about fighting him, she could probably win; it was the fact that demons could almost never be found in these woods that unnerved her. He smiled coyly at her and stood up straight, taking a step closer. Rin stood her ground, ready to slash him to pieces if he tried anything.

"And leave you here all alone? There are some pretty scary things in the forest, _little girl_. You shouldn't be out here by yourself." Rin was uncomfortable with the way his eyes were traveling all over her body. It made her want to drop the katana and cover herself with her arms. And the way he called her little girl made her want to punch him in the balls.

"The only threat I see right now is you," she said angrily. He took another step forward.

"Well what have we here?" another voice interjected from behind. Rin spun around to see two more demons advancing. One was short with long, light hair, and the other had some sort of ugly animal ears on his head. She took a step back so she could keep all three demons in her sight. This situation was getting bad fast, and she felt the urge to find a way out as soon as possible. The three demons gave her an icky feeling, like something heavy and wet was stuck on her spirit, clinging on like a snail to a rock.

"Well aren't you pretty?" The ugly demon with animal ears had a sort of grin on his face that Rin did not like at all.

"We should bring her with us, don't you think?" The short one was slowly walking towards her now as well. "We could use a female companion as we travel."

Rin shook her head as if disagreeing with him, her black locks of hair dancing across her back.

"Leave me alone, or I _will_ have to kill you!" she said sharply, knowing the empty threats would do nothing to deter them.

The three laughed dryly.

"She's trying to seem threatening, isn't that cute?" The red haired demon said.

"You really shouldn't be afraid of us," the short one spoke again. All three were now steadily advancing on her. She tightened her grip on her sword, and shifted her feet. Suddenly all three lunged; she saw no way to evade them all so she quickly sidestepped, and lashed out with her katana, her arms jerking with swift motion. She felt the blade make contact with something and heard a loud screech. The red haired demon and the animal-eared one had both come close, but did not touch Rin because of her evasive maneuver. The short one however, was unfortunate to have Rin's shiny blade embedded in his chest and shoulder, then ripped out again forcefully. Without missing a beat she brought the sword over her head and slammed it down, letting out a short cry. It made contact with his neck and soon made its way all the way through. She didn't stop to watch his head tumble to the ground, but turned just in time to deflect a blown from the crimson-eyed demon.

Both demons had pulled out weapons of their own - the red demon a crude looking sword that probably wasn't as faulty as it appeared, and the animal demon some sort of mini scythe. Rin was fast, but so were they. For several minutes all that could be heard were the loud clangs of metal on metal and the steady breathing from Rin's own mouth. She might have been fast, but apparently she wasn't strong enough. She had just blocked the scythe from meeting her shoulder, and her grip was slightly loosened on her hilt from the hard blow. Without warning the red haired demon brought his own blade down on hers, sending the katana flying out of her grip and embedding itself in the soft earth. Rin was knocked backward and landed on the ground. She quickly grabbed a rock and smashed it against the attacking demon's face, making him stumble back into the other. She leaped up, and began to run. The thought of leaving behind her precious katana was saddening, but the voice inside her screamed for her to leave it if she wanted to live.

She didn't make it far before they caught up to her. She shrieked as a large arm grabbed her waist roughly, and pulled her back into the confines on the scarlet demon's grip. She kicked and bit and struggled, but the fact was that she was still a young human girl and they were fully grown demon males. Suddenly anger welled up inside her, anger that she was surprised to find was aimed at Sesshoumaru. If only he hadn't decided that she was in danger around him. When she was with Sesshoumaru, nothing like this would have happened. Demons like these would never be stupid enough to even look at her. But they had no way of knowing that when he came to visit her, he would find out what happened, hunt them down, and make sure they felt a pain like no other. But Sesshoumaru was stupid and he had left her behind.

She let out something between a sob and a scream. Rin was losing hope fast. She didn't see a way out of this, and knew that whatever the demons did to her would not be pleasant. She tried to scream again, but found that nothing came out except for sobs. The ugly animal-eared demon was towering over her now, a hideous smirk on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could Rin saw a glint of metal through her tear filled eyes and a splash of crimson blood as the demon was forever silenced and tipped onto the wet earth, laying still. She heard a short sound from the demon holding onto her; his arms tightened around her for a split second, before dropping away. She fell to the ground, and heard a muted thump as the crimson demon fell to the ground behind her.

There was silence again, except for Rin's sobs and the gurgling of the stream that was no longer visible. Rin pressed her dirty palms onto her face, trying to stop the tears. She had no idea who had saved her, she only hoped they were being nice and didn't do it for selfish reasons. There was a soft rustle from behind and tame footsteps approached. Rin was aware of someone crouching down next to her and a strong arm gently rested across her shoulders. It was a few minutes before her sobs died down, and eventually stopped. All the while her savior sat silently by her side, carefully patting her back.

Rin rubbed her eyes and blinked, looking up into a familiar face with brown eyes and a freckled nose. He grinned at her and she stared for a moment before breaking into a smile as well and throwing her arms around his neck. "Kohaku!" She sang amiably.

~O~

**Hmmm... so it's a little short, but not horrible for a first chapter, right?**

**If you've got the time, I appreciate reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Gwah! It's been a while, hasn't it? I only have lame excuses for not updating, so lets forget about those and just be happy I'm updating at all. Though I'm on summer break now, and should be able to update weekly. Feel free to kick my ass or send me hate mail if I don't. **

**My Editor-san is amazing, without her my writing would fail. So thanks to SkyeRID3R for being awesome and extremely literate. **

****And I apologize beforehand for this being kinda shortish, but I just wanted to get back to posting. And I'll admit that this is a bit of a filler chapter before the real adventures begin!**  
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**NOTE: A kusarigama (or kusari-kama) is a sickle and chain, the weapon that Kohaku carries. **

~O~

Kohaku had grown – a lot. He had always been taller than Rin, but sitting next to him now she figured she would only come up to his shoulder when they stood. But maybe that was partially because Rin was petite for a girl of her age. His arms looked strong and dependable to her, and she could see his muscles flex underneath his pale skin as he moved them about. His face was no longer that of a boy, but a young man's. With a strong jaw line, a straight nose, and long eyelashes he was nothing short of attractive; and his freckles added a sort of charm to him, which made him look very approachable.

Rin loved the way is hair looked so soft. He had let it grow out a little, and the dark chocolate tips of his ponytail brushed against the back of his neck every so gently. His bangs fell over his forehead, with slightly longer pieces on either side falling to the tops of his high cheek bones. His eyes didn't seem as grey as they used to be, they were more if a warm mahogany color now.

"Rin?" Kohaku's slightly concerned voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She blushed a shade of pink when she realized she had been staring. "Are you okay?" The sound of his voice made her feel like she was melting inside, it was deep and had an almost rough sound to it.

She nodded a little too quickly. "Yes, I'm fine!" She hadn't even thought about it though, being too caught up in fighting and struggling to notice if she was hurt anywhere. Kohaku didn't look too convinced; she watched his eyes travel across her body, looking for any injuries.

"You're bleeding," he said softly, gesturing to her left leg. "Let me help you." Rin nodded and carefully parted her kimono, sticking out her leg. There was a large cut just above the knee, blood trickled out of it and dripped down her calf muscle onto the moss below. Kohaku examined it for a minute before getting up and fetching his pack that he had dropped a few feet away. He sat down next to Rin again and pulled out a cloth, wiping away most of the blood. He took out another strip and wrapped it around a few times, tying it off with a knot. Rin liked the feeling of his calloused hands placing light touches on her leg. She though it was too bad that the painful gash was distracting from the experience.

"Better?" Kohaku asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yes. Thank you very much," Rin said, placing both of her hands on his, and smiling widely. Kohaku stood up and Rin let her hands drop back into her lap.

"I'll be right back. You sit tight," Kohaku told her, before turning and heading in the direction where Rin had first been attacked. She tried to figure out how old Kohaku was while waiting for him. She decided on eighteen, because that was a good age. A few minutes later he came back, carrying Rin's katana and her sandal that she hadn't even realized had fallen off. He crouched down next to her, handing her the sharp sword and slipping the shoe onto her foot.

"Well," He picked up his pack and stood as he spoke, "we should probably get going. Chances are there are more demons around." He held out a hand to help Rin up. She took his pale hand gently with her own fingers, and looked at him intently.

"Kohaku?" she said apprehensively, "I just…. Thank you. Thank you for saving me from those demons."

He smiled, a hint of shyness mixed in with his peachy lips. "No problem." He gripped her hand tighter and pulled Rin up to her feet. She let out a loud yelp as pain seared through her leg. She would have fallen over again if Kohaku hadn't quickly grabbed her waist.

"Can't walk?" Kohaku asked gently. Rin shook her head, then looked up into Kohaku's face and bit her lip worriedly. He was quiet for a minute, a thoughtful look on his face. It gave Rin time to confirm that she had been correct about their height differences, and it made her feel terribly short. "I'll just carry you then," Kohaku said with warm smile on his face.

~O~

Rin found herself hoping that she wasn't too heavy as Kohaku walked down the dirt road, Rin clinging softly to his shoulders. He had his pack in his left hand, part of his kusarigama sticking out of the top, leaving his right hand free. They had been walking in relative silence for about twenty minutes, before Kohaku broke it. There was a question he had been just dying to ask, but wanted to wait for a good moment. He figured now was as good a time as any. "Can I ask you something?" Kohaku questioned, his eyes still on the road ahead.

Rin replied, "Sure. Ask anything." Her voice was just as bubbly and happy as Kohaku remembered, but it wasn't as squeaky as when she was a child.

"What happened to Sesshoumaru?" He began to get nervous when she didn't reply immediately.

"You really don't know?"

"Know what?"

Her voice sounded surprisingly cold to Kohaku. "He dumped me at some village a few months back, giving some lame excuse about me being in danger, and left." It was Kohaku's turn to be silent for a moment.

"You mean he just left you?" Rin sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder.

"He found a nice family for me to stay with, but yes. He pretty much just left."

"Oh." It had suddenly gotten very awkward for Kohaku. He didn't know what to say now so he just kept on walking. Luckily for him Rin had regained her gleeful composure and began chatting cheerfully about this and that and everything in-between.

It wasn't too long before they reached the village, considering the relatively slow pace Kohaku had to take while carrying Rin. Dusk had just finished to settle in as they entered the sturdy gates. A few people were out in the streets, returning to their homes and families for a peaceful evening and some rest. The pair got some looks and a few slightly amused nods, people thinking how typical it was of Rin to get into trouble.

Rin directed Kohaku through the village and to the household where she was staying. They were quickly ushered inside, and Kohaku thanked profusely for saving Rin. Umeko, the lady who Rin found most agreeable, gently led Kohaku away to get him fed and cleaned up. Hiroko, who Rin found less than agreeable, was left to tend Rin while someone fetched the village healer, who was nothing short of a miracle man. Not an hour later Rin was healed, fed, and set to work. She was cleaning up from dinner with the other three young women of the house, the two unmarried ones asking seemingly unending questions about Kohaku, and Rin was starting to get snappy. She was just about ready to slap one of them when Umeko saved her from the unkind action.

"Rin," the aging woman called out to her. Rin raised her head and smiled.

"What can I help you with?" Umeko beckoned to her, so she put down the dishes she had just picked up and dashed to her side.

"Go take these to Kohaku-san. They're clothes to sleep in while his are being washed." Rin nodded happily.

"Thanks for saving me from them." She jerked her head discreetly toward the other girls.

"Better be careful or that young man might just be stolen from you." Umeko winked at her, and Rin felt a blush run up her cheeks.

Rin hurried off to the guest room where Kohaku would sleep during his visit. There were currently no other guests so he got the well sized room to himself. Rin hummed happily as her bare feet padded sturdily down the wooden hallway, her slender arm clutched tightly around the clothes being lent to her old friend.

"I'm coming in, hope you're not naked!" she called cheerfully as she threw the thin door open. He was. And just out of the bath too. Kohaku might not have been wearing clothes, but he wasn't completely bare either; he sat on the plush futon, a still dry towel (or whatever they used to dry off in feudal era Japan) draped across his legs and covering all the bits that a G-rated story requires to be covered. Kohaku blushed a shade of crimson, but Rin didn't seem phased at all. She marched across the distance between them and sat down in front of him, setting the clothes on the floor.

"Those are for you to wear until your clothes are clean and dry." She smiled at him, enjoying the view of his pale chest and arms covered in tiny water droplets, and his sopping wet hair clinging to his neck.

"I- uh," Kohaku stammered, the blush still in place. "Thanks," he finally managed.

Rin had gone on thinking that Kohaku was all manly, but now he was showing a more boyish, innocent side and she couldn't help but love it. It was so adorable the way he got embarrassed and couldn't seem to talk quite straight. They sat in silence for a minute or a few longer, Kohaku fiddling with the edge of a blanket and avoiding eye contact, Rin's brown eyes carefully studying his face, and several other places as well, though much more discreetly.

"Well, I suppose I should get going," Rin said with a light sigh once she was sure he had nothing to say. "Thanks again for saving me from the evil rapist demons." She smiled cutely.

"Any time," Kohaku replied, finally daring to look Rin in the face and return her smile.

"Sleep well, see you tomorrow!"

"You too."

Rin stood and left the room, glancing back at him once more before quietly closing the door and heading to the room she shared with the three other young ladies. Once beneath her blankets Rin snuggled in, thinking how wonderful love really was. The scarier parts of the day seemed to melt away after Kohaku arrived, the fight with the demons, her anger at Sesshoumaru, and her annoyance with Hiroko and the other girls were nothing more than not-so-distant memories. And Rin couldn't help feeling that something new and spectacular would soon be upon her. An adventure was sure to take place!

~O~

**Huzzah for G-rated nakedness!**

**Cookies if you review. =D  
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